


Rhapsody, Evolving

by snowpuppies



Category: Angel: the Series, Buffy the Vampire Slayer
Genre: AU, F/F, Magic, dub-con, post-nfa
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2011-11-18
Updated: 2011-11-18
Packaged: 2017-10-26 05:31:13
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,212
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/279266
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/snowpuppies/pseuds/snowpuppies
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>After the battle in L.A., Illyria is left without direction. The too-little, too-late arrival of the Scooby Gang provides...inspiration.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Rhapsody, Evolving

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Aaronlisa](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Aaronlisa/gifts).



She stands alone, triumphant over her foe.

The Wolf, Ram, and Hart have perished…

…all have perished, save she.

A breeze curls around her frame, picking up the blackened ashes of the fallen. She feels them crying out beyond death, calling her name in supplication.

For a moment, she remembers what it was like to be an Old One, when Illyria, godking of the cosmos, ruled all. She revels in the feeling…

…and then she grieves.

 

A twinge in her gut accompanies the thought of Angel, burnt to a crisp on the breath of a dragon, Spike, impaled on the skewer of a polgara, Charles, bloodied and bruised and gasping for breath, and Wesley…

…when she thinks of Wesley, she cannot breathe. She feels a crushing weight on her chest and she remembers being bound to this form, squeezed into the shell of Winifred Burkle until she is but a shadow, caught between worlds, wretched and frail and in pain.

 

And now she is alone.

Adrift.

Afloat in a sea of vermin, unfamiliar, unwelcomed…

At one time, she would have wiped them from existence with a blink, and now…now she is the one without recourse in a strange land. The vastness of an eternity crawling among the mewling, puking masses swallows her whole.

She cannot abide this.

"Uh…"

She turns at the noise.

There are _others_ , not enemies, but…familiar, in a way—standing at the edge of the chaos, surveying the wreckage of Wolfram & Hart. Bows and axes and spears glint in the hazy sunlight; they are fitted for battle, but arrive in the aftermath.

Illyria is the sole victor, here.

A flash of red catches her attention, and the shell—Winifred—stirs.

"So"—a voice pipes up from the crowd—"where is everybody?"

 

***

 

The stench of sorrow overwhelms her; the whole pack calling out for the dead.

The small one, a Slayer—half-breeds hunting half-breeds, a futile endeavor—boils with regret, wretched and wallowing, mourning.

A part of her warms at the thought of not being the only one grieving for her companions.

The feeling disturbs her.

And yet, she is no longer adrift, floating on the waves of pointless existence; there is the one _she_ remembers…there is Willow.

She watches, carefully observing the girl so enthusiastically captured in Winifred's memories: the metallic crackle of power, the friendly smile, the fierce optimism…

And then there is the feeling the shell experiences as these thoughts pass through her mind.

It is not unlike the physical sensations inspired by Wesley.

 

The thought twists in her mind, a vortex of memory and ((memory)) and breath and blood and a feeling so strong that she has to be seated.

Emotions are too disconcerting to be borne.

 

Still, she is compelled to investigate.

 

***

 

"Uh. Hey, I—Illyria. How…I mean, what…Uh…Did you want something?" Willow smiles, strangely, and backs up a pace.

"You are unsettled by my presence." She steps closer, nostrils flaring as she inhales the clean scent of magic bubbling below Willow's skin.

"No!" Willow blurts, stretching that still-strange smile across her face. "No, I'm just…It's just…weird."

"You knew the shell."

Willow's face turns blank.

"Winifred Burkle," she clarifies.

"Oh. Fred. Yeah. She was…" Willow bites her lip.

The strangest impulse to join her in that endeavor rises up; she suppresses the urge, cataloging it for later examination.

She melts, allowing Winifred's face to shine, pulls on her power, drawing it close—a dense ball of darkly pulsing light—and shoves the memories forward.

Willow's face pales; she backs away until her back hits the wall.

"Aww, Willow. 'M not gone." Fred cocks her head to the side, eyes sparkling as she surveys the changes…changes for the better, she thinks.

"Il—Fr—Illyria, I know she's gone."

Willow looks like her puppy died.

"Hey, I get it." She reaches out, finds small, slim fingers and knits them with her own; Willow stares down at their joined hands like they belong to someone else. "I thought I was a goner for sure. But—" she shrugs, "—here I am. Maybe not finer than a frog hair split four ways, and didn't think I'd ever be runnin' a time-share on my body, but…better than nothing, I guess."

Willow's eyes widen.

"You can't…"

Something stirs inside, curling in Fred's belly then twisting and twirling lower and lower…until she's intoxicated by the throb between her legs.

She remembers college—Adelle Williams, quiet and dark and serious, kneeling between her thighs during Spring Break of Sophomore year, when the dorm was deserted and she didn't have to be quiet, didn't have to bite back the whimpers and groans and goshdarnit-who-knew-it-could-be-this-good moans. She remembers the secret smiles, the quick glances, and the one stolen kiss—three months later—Adelle catching her in the Student Center and pulling her into a closet, lips soft and wet and so warm…

She remembers Willow—flirty looks, shoulders brushing just a little too often, the smell of apples and summer…

She remembers…

…and she wants.

"I am." She presses forward, chests colliding as she captures Willow's lips.

A wave of magic pushes against her; she exhales and presses back, splaying Willow against the wall, hands trapped next to her head, russet strands spread in a halo like static-cling along the wallpaper.

Their lips brush again, tongues sliding and slipping, and she remembers this…this kiss, and Willow whimpers against her mouth, soft pink lips joining the dance, hungry and open and the room is spinning and she remembers power, but this is something so much lesser and greater than she's known.

Willow breaks away, soft breath ruffling Fred's hair.

"We…shouldn't."

"Why not?" she whispers, nuzzling under Willow's jaw to nip at her earlobe.

"Because…you're not…not really."

She pulls away.

"'M close." Her eyes flutter shut. "Close as I'm gonna get, anyways."

"Fred…"

She looks up, sees the compassion and fear and desire welling in Willow's eyes, so she presses forward.

"Please," she breathes, barest brush of lips; her fingers busy pulling Willow's top from her waistband.

Willow grunts, head tilting back to thump against the wall, but she says nothing.

Fred busies her mouth with a smooth, creamy expanse of neck, deft fingers popping open buttons and a zipper and sliding down, _down_ , where things are wet and dark and secrets lie ready to be discovered.

Willow slumps in her embrace; she slips _in_.

 

***

 

Willow is curled—sated and worn—under the bedsheets.

She watches the rise and fall of the mortal's chest.

She feels… _different_ ; whether this difference is for her benefit or detriment, she knows not, but she knows her time is past, and yet, she will survive.

She crosses the floor and perches on the mattress before she notices the urge, fingers reaching out to caress a strand of hair. She blinks at the reaction—in equal parts intrigued and horrified—and follows the desire.

Something settles in her chest.

She turns to look out the window, one hand idly toying with Willow's hair. She raises the other to her nose, and inhales before her tongue emerges to lap at her fingers.

Power sizzles in her mouth.

 

It is decided.

 

She is alone no more.

 

This will do.

 

 

 

 _FIN_.

**Author's Note:**

>  **A/N** : for femslash minis' Illyria Round. Written for Aaronlisa, who requested "dub-con, magic, mentions of Fred," and oh, crap, I just noticed you said no character death, but it's not the main characters, so I hope it's okay!!!
> 
> Beta'd by Gabrielle!
> 
> Originally archived [here](http://snowpuppies.dreamwidth.org/281086.html).


End file.
